Story Engineering

As someone fairly left-brained, this book clearly defined a means by which to express my creative streak. As the book makes manifest, having a process and rules by which to write is no different than having rules that are obeyed when composing music. Or a blueprint for a building, for that matter. Many of the issues I have found myself facing in converting the ideas in my head into properly fleshed-out stories were succinctly addressed, leaving me feeling more confident and empowered to put them on paper.

This book does more to create confidence in a writer's mind than any book I have read. Producing a novel out of the air is a tough job. It is easy to get so lost in your story and never find your way out, or even the story itself! Mr. Brooks solves this for us by showing the Six Core Competencies that every story, whether filmed, or written, must have.

I have read many writing books but this is the only one that gave form to a manuscript of 100,000 words that seemed to be going nowhere. This book solved my problem!

Story Engineering is Larry Brooks' subtly brilliant conribution to the legions of books on the craft of writing. But it distinguishes itself: like a life-experienced parent imparting wisdom to a know-it-all child, it illuminated how little I really knew. Most of the concepts in his 6 Core Competencies are likely well-known in the time-tested literary world of novels and screenplays, and I intuitively already had some grasp of them. It's the nuances of what I DIDN'T know that made this clearly the most valuable addition to my shelf, and which I believe will be the tripwire that allows me to go from "promising" to "published" author.

It's much more than another book on craft. It's an invaluable file cabinet of information, and once I began to realize this, I pounced on it like an eager med student with his first anatomy textbook, underlining key passages, putting two and two together. And the light began to grow brighter. I recognized that the professor was indeed smarter than the student. Once I finished, I eagerly went back and re-read the underlines, and like Grasshopper, I was enlightened.

But Story Engineering reads nothing like a textbook. Brooks has a direct, sly sense of humor that he spreads freely throughout the pages, and the metaphors and analogous stories abound, which only makes the information that much easier to absorb. The negative reviewers apparently didn't have that same sense of humor; some felt like they were being talked down to. On the other hand I felt like Brooks was my personal mentor, Master Po if you will, with a sharp cutting edge, and more importantly, the stuff I sorely lacked. Maybe those detractors needed the info just as much as I did but couldn't accept it.

One recurring criticism suggested that Brooks talked down to the "pantsers", those that did not outline. Not true, and he said as much on pg 225. "To write a successful story...doesn't mean you need an outline, it means you need a foundational core competency in story architecture."

If you read this piece of gold, you, like I, will be equipped to use whatever talent we posess, and have a legitimate shot at getting published. Those that ignore it...do so at their own peril. They can take solace while they write negative reviews of my upcoming novel as they're trying to figure out why incompetent agents and editors just don't understand the true genius of their manuscript that was just tossed in the slush pile.

Best book EVER for helping craft a good story. Recommended to me from a fantastic author and she was right, every aspect of this book is amazing. The author spends a lot of time convincing you why you need the book, you can skim over that, the actual meat of the book is brilliant.

Of the 6 core competencies discussed in Mr. Brooks' valuable book, the one that hit home for me was structure. True, these guidelines can be ignored, but Brooks is very clear about stating that if you want to make a living writing you ignore structure at your peril. It was eye opening. I haven't found a successful novel without the structure he describes. It has, without exaggeration revolutionized how I write. That one competency was worth the cost of the book; the other five were gravy. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

The "six core competencies" model put together by Brooks struck me as being comprehensive yet simple when it comes to the technicalities of writing a story. Story Engineering provides an in-depth look at characterization, concept, theme, plot structure, scene execution, and writing voice. True to its name, Story Engineering applies a scientific mindset to the development of a novel and gives an excellent foundation without proposing a formulaic fill-in-the-blank methodology.

My only qualms with the book stem from my own existing thoughts on craft. Brooks spends a great deal of time delving into the "plotter vs. pantser" debate and explaining why the Story Engineering method is not a "formula". In my case, he was preaching to the choir on both points. For a reader less decided on those issues, they may not find such sections as tedious as I did. Regardless of those minor gripes, I ended up adding a great deal of useful ideas and information to my notebooks thanks to Story Engineering. I recommend that any writer, especially new ones, read it at least once and decide for themselves if its principles can help them.

I find myself recommending a book that annoys me. The six core competencies that Larry Brooks describes provide a wonderful model for understanding necessary story elements and skills. Those break down into four elements (concept, character, theme, structure) and two skills (scene execution and writing voice). Each competency contains longer lists of specific criteria, except theme, which was the least specific competency section in the book.

I believe Mr. Brooks' assertion that his model does a good job of describing why successful stories are successful, both screenplays and novels. I would recommend the book to anyone who wants to craft a successful story. As I ready my novel for submission, I've gone over it, checking the story against the six competencies. That has been very helpful. I consider this one of the more useful volumes in my reference shelf. I also have to say that the book bugs the h*ll out of me.

The first section of the book, approximately 10 percent, reads like one of those long annoying internet sales letters. Some of the points are good, but how many times does he have to sell me on his ideas? I've already bought the book.

Brooks uses the term core competency or core competencies 43 times (I was annoyed enough to count them) before he gets around to defining them. Come on. He also refers to the competencies at least another couple of dozen times with other terms like, model, buckets, principles, elements, strategic options, skills, architecture, and on, and on. He relates the competencies to the skills of baseball players, chefs, and architects. Any one example would have made his point.

I very nearly didn't wade through the first section to get to the meat of the book. A good editor would have helped.

Once he gets to describing the competencies, Brooks offers real meat. He also gets as far as the second competency before he contradicts himself. In the first competency, concept, he uses two best sellers as examples, "Raising the Titanic", and "The Da Vinci Code". I'm glad that he did because I never understood why they were popular. I didn't finish either. Now I realize that the story concepts contained within them were powerful enough to drive sales. That's terrific information.

Then, when we get to the second competency, character, Brooks states that his examples from the first competency, don't display any appreciable character development. So much for essential competencies. There are other contradictions, but most of them are petty and not worth describing. Unfortunately, once I was sensitized to them, they intruded into my reading.

So, here's a book with extremely useful information that's marred by both a lack of consistency and lack of editing down to the meat. Five stars for the concepts. Three for the writing.

Wow, talk about snark! This guys spends more time making fun of everyone else's writing advice than explaining his own - whether it be Stephen King, Heath Ledger (ouch! how about giving the talented dead a little respect?), or your poor high school writing teacher (which is whom he blames all the very dumbest writing advice on), everyone else is an idiot. There are endless analogies (cooking, flying, baseball). Long lead-in's explaining why his way of looking at things is so much better. Truly astonishing repetition of why it's so great to do things his way....
...and tiny tiny bits of actual advice. The arrogance is aggravating, but what really annoys is how he takes so long to make a point, and that the main reason it takes so long to get there is that he's so busy congratulating himself ahead of time on how awesome the point is.
*sigh*
Some basic good concepts here, but not worth suffering through the attitude for.

I found reading Story Engineering to be easy to understand and engaging. I am a new author and I would and have suggested it to many of my writing groups for amateur and seasoned writers. Larry Brooks has a way to help a writer understand the importance of the craft and how a successful novel can be put together and save the writer time and effort by using his steps in building the story instead of going by the seat of your pants. Excellent read and I can't wait for Story Fix to get to my door step.

I just finished reading Mr. Brooks' book, and I can't remember ever reading a more useful writing book. If you've ever made it to the middle of your novel only to realize the pacing or structure isn't working, this is the book you need to read.

This is definitely one you'll want to take your time with because it's packed with information and details. I actually took notes while reading! This is one that I know I'll return to time and again.

Larry Brooks, the author of a little blog called storyfix.com, has given us all the information we need to write a novel, and to do so well.
A publishable novel? we ask, and Brooks is honest enough to say that that's not something anyone can guarantee. Still, this book presents lessons on making your prose the best it can be, which will give it the greatest chance of being published.
"Story Structure Demystified," now available only as a Kindle file, was frankly superior to "Engineering" in its discussion of the nuts-and-bolts of story structure. However, the value of this book lies in the fact that the other subjects Brooks covers here, the other "Core Competencies" as he calls them, are elucidated with Brooks' famous bluntness. If you want to be published, he tells you with no bark on it, you have to be able to do A, B, and C, and X, Y, and Z as well, and to execute them all at professional levels. Then "Engineering" goes on to show you how to do all those things.
I have a tendency to rate writing books on how much they've helped me. Currently, "Story Structure -- Demystified" tops the list; Victoria Mixon's "The Art & Craft of Fiction: A Practitioner's Manual" is #2, although these positions may swap as Mixon's is a very powerful book which continues to contribute, while "Demystified" is a one-time only paradigm-altering wake-up call; "Story Engineering" is #3; Randy Ingermanson's "Writing Fiction For Dummies" is #4, and Linda George's "Fill-in-the-Blank Plotting - A Guide to Outlining a Novel (Chickhollow Books for Writers)" rounds out the top five.
Bottom line: I'd recommend "Story Engineering" to a friend. I'd even recommend it to an enemy, if said enemy were a decent writer. Why? Because I like to read (and, I hope, write) good fiction, and if lots of people follow Larry Brooks' advice in "Story Engineering," I'll have lots of good fiction to read.

I just finished Story Engineering, and the title describes the book well. I've read and studied multiple how to write fiction books, and I would say this is one of the best. But, it won't make the writing of a novel any easier, none of them do that. This book explains the parts necessary in a novel and where to put them; a big plus that I've never read in any writing book before. A great book for anyone who plans their scenes before writing.

I am surprised that someone who is supposed to be a bestseller spent the first 41% of this book boring me stupid with "this will change your life" and not getting down to the point. I had already bought the book. You don't need to keep selling it to me! Maybe it's the difference between British and American 'how to' books. (I'm a Brit).
The only reason I didn't give up was because my friend had already got past all the flab and found the good stuff. And it is really good. Out of the many books I have read on how to write a novel this is the one that really nails the structure. You'll never have a saggy middle again.

This is the book that finally, finally! sorted through the troublesome advice of the professionals (which has been lousy!) and gave me what I needed - a plan! I now can see where my stories are weak AND I know how to fix it. If you are a writer, and like me, keep a drawer full of rejections, you need this book. But let's keep it a secret, ok? If everyone gets their fingers on this, the publishing houses will be awash with amazing stories.

Larry Brooks does an excellent job of breaking a story down in to its component parts. I have read both "Story Engineering" and "Story Physics," and they are both excellent books. Mr. Brooks is passionate about writing and this shows in both of his books. He inspires writers to be the best they can be and never settle for less than their best. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in writing.

Fantastic Book! After reading dozens of "how to" books on novel creation (all of which had value) I finally came across the book I was looking for, Larry lays out the key structure of a novel which answered my questions of what to right, and more importantly WHEN it is to be written in the story. Check out his web site http://storyfix.com/ for additional tools and coaching products....his costs are extremely reasonable, I would actually say they are too low for the value he delivers!

Larry's Book revolutionized the way I think about writing. I don't understand why people are concerned about "creative constraints." There is no such thing in this book. There are a million different styles of houses in the world, but every single one of them has the same basic structure...walls, roof, flooring, etc. You don't hear architects bitching about "creative constraints." Larry's advice is for those who want to be writer entreprenuers in the commerical environment. If you're ready to ante in, buy the book. You won't regret it.

I really enjoyed this. I have several great ideas that I have been wanting to expand into story lines. The information helped me organize my ideas into stories (that someone may actually want to read).

I've written a couple of novels and have published through the store KDP. My sales aren't yet stellar, but I feel they have the potential to grow, as do I as a writer. After reading Story Engineering, I feel that I now have the tools to turn my belief into reality. I've also learned that prior to this book, I really had very little understanding of what in the world it took to write a great book. I had read a book on conflict, tension, and suspense that helped me tremendously to make my first novel "compelling," so say several reviewers. However, I had never read a holistic book like Larry's that gave me the whole picture.

Larry showed me that I'm a pantser who employed some pre-planning. Actually, I was a pantser. I'm now committed to increasing the quality and quantity of my work by intelligent structuring of my novel. I have many ideas for books that now I can hardly wait to develop. Oh, and Story Engineering showed me why some of my work hasn't...ahem, worked. One manuscript has great characterization. Problem is it really has no plot. I was trying to use theme in the place of plot. I also have a protagonist who failed to garner reader empathy. My setup was...well, I didn't use a setup so reader's could bond with my protagonist. I could go on and on, but it's not necessary. You get the point. I've been writing blindly and hoping that something good would happen. Now I don't have to hope something good will happen. I know of six core competences that can help me make something good happen.

Thank you, Larry!

Eric M Hill
Author of Bones of Fire

After studying Bickham, Larry takes the aspiring writer to a more advanced phase.

Just his 4 parts alone is worth the money. Not that 4 parts are new, but the character's response to each part is worth the price of the book. Pay attention to this because every book I love follows this structure. And it is not a formula in the generic sense any more than Gaudi thought he was just constructing a building.

Ok, concept and premise remain an area of concern, but the rest of his book is excellent. Do yourself a favor and become a fan.

Thanks Larry.

I've written and published 9 non-fiction books. My only mystery was called "a good airplane read" which hurt, because it's true. It's a wading pool, and I want to write deep blue seas.

Larry Brooks' "Story Engineering" is one of the very few non-fiction books I've read more than once. I'm taking extensive notes during my second pass. There's just far too much information to remember without capturing the bits which are most relevant at this point in my current work in progress.

When I'm done, I'll be going through all the exercises (in effect, reading it a THIRD TIME) in relation to my work in progress.

And once that deep blue Chandleresque cozy is finished, I'll be working the exercises for every piece of fiction I ever write. That will be 4, 5, 6, who knows how many times.

This book is deep and broad. It is a novelist's bible. It is the single most educational book on writing craft I've ever read. And Larry's site [...] is one of my eagerly anticipated reads.

To those who find this book shallow or who already knew it all, please sell me your paperback copy and I'll give it as a gift to my own readers. (It's difficult not to become snarky at those folks; this is seriously advanced information, so I'm just confused about what on earth those one- and two-star reviewers were looking for.)

Book purchase offer is serious. I want every writer I know to have a copy, and if I can get it out of the hands of someone who doesn't appreciate it, and into the hands of someone whose life it will change forever, that's what I want.

I really like the core concept of "Story Engineering" and think the principles behind the book are very good.

Unfortunately, there was too much discussion in the book about how important the material is, and how dumb you would be to ignore it. There is a time maybe 15 pages in where the author says "You may be wondering why it's taking so long to announce what [the six core competentencies] are"... Yes, I WAS wondering exactly that! I forged ahead for a while but my enjoyment of the book was ruined by this aspect of the material. If there were a second edition I think it should have less of that kind of exposition and perhaps more examples and case studies.

The is an edit of my original review - previously I was very brief and negative - apologies to the author.

5 stars to Larry Brooks for giving frank and honest information in a no-nonsense manner. The book starts with the general concepts and the later chapters delve into each mentioned subject. This is a must-have for any aspiring writer - study these concepts and get your story written right the first time (or should I say first draft :)

I've written and published 9 non-fiction books. My only mystery was called "a good airplane read" which hurt, because it's true. It's a wading pool, and I want to write deep blue seas.

Larry Brooks' "Story Engineering" is one of the very few non-fiction books I've read more than once. I'm taking extensive notes during my second pass. There's just far too much information to remember without capturing the bits which are most relevant at this point in my current work in progress.

When I'm done, I'll be going through all the exercises (in effect, reading it a THIRD TIME) in relation to my work in progress.

And once that deep blue Chandleresque cozy is finished, I'll be working the exercises for every piece of fiction I ever write. That will be 4, 5, 6, who knows how many times.

This book is deep and broad. It is a novelist's bible. It is the single most educational book on writing craft I've ever read. And Larry's site [...] is one of my eagerly anticipated reads.

To those who find this book shallow or who already knew it all, please sell me your paperback copy and I'll give it as a gift to my own readers. (It's difficult not to become snarky at those folks; this is seriously advanced information, so I'm just confused about what on earth those one- and two-star reviewers were looking for.)

Book purchase offer is serious. I want every writer I know to have a copy, and if I can get it out of the hands of someone who doesn't appreciate it, and into the hands of someone whose life it will change forever, that's what I want.

I really like the core concept of "Story Engineering" and think the principles behind the book are very good.

Unfortunately, there was too much discussion in the book about how important the material is, and how dumb you would be to ignore it. There is a time maybe 15 pages in where the author says "You may be wondering why it's taking so long to announce what [the six core competentencies] are"... Yes, I WAS wondering exactly that! I forged ahead for a while but my enjoyment of the book was ruined by this aspect of the material. If there were a second edition I think it should have less of that kind of exposition and perhaps more examples and case studies.

The is an edit of my original review - previously I was very brief and negative - apologies to the author.

5 stars to Larry Brooks for giving frank and honest information in a no-nonsense manner. The book starts with the general concepts and the later chapters delve into each mentioned subject. This is a must-have for any aspiring writer - study these concepts and get your story written right the first time (or should I say first draft :)

Larry Brooks has a way of teaching and describing the principles that make great fiction. I read it from cover to cover and now I will go back and use this book as a reference forever! I have bookmarked many places in this book to refer back to in areas where I personally need more instruction in writing fiction.

With this brilliant guide, Larry Brooks, gives new meaning to the words “I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see”. Though I’ve read several creative writing guides, this is by far the best. The six core competencies outlined in Story Engineering provide a logical, comprehensive, framework for turning elusive writing dreams into publishing reality. The book addresses not just one dimension or a few elements but the whole complex schemata of great fiction writing. It is written in a refreshing, entertaining, engaging style that keeps the pages turning in quick succession. For me there were little light bulb moments all the way through as I gained greater clarity about my current project. I couldn’t wait to apply what I’d learnt. Thank you Larry Brooks for deciding that the world really did need another book about writing!

Sometimes, this book was hoakie, sure. Sometimes I got the sense the author might be padding words. More than once, his sports metaphor escaped me.

All that being said, this is the clearest, simplest, most forward expression of how to write one ever seen. I've gotten dozens of books trying to understand the hero's journey, and this is the first time I've been able to. Larry Brooks sets out everything needed for a successful manuscript and does it in a way the reader can understand.

Highly recommended.

I loved this book. Most describe the art of writing; this describes the science--what publishers looks for in structure. No matter how great your writing is, if it doesn't have the structure Mr. Brooks describes... good luck.

Excellently written. Compactly assembled. Every question you might have asked about how to engineer a story is answered right here at your fingertips. Highly recommended for both the novice and the pro.

Excellent book. I checked the advice as I read other thrillers and could see their structure quite clearly. In my new novel and I have now changed my protagonist 3 times as a result of this book. Third time lucky! Without the structure we are all wasting time on stories. I now have scene plan based on 10 scenes up to page 90, 10 scenes up to page 180, 10 scenes up to page 270 and 10 scenes up to page 360. This is not writing by numbers but very helpful planning. Thanks.

For those of us fortunate enough to suffer the effects of a rabid imagination and a desire to share that through the published word, Mr. Brooks offers a remarkable distillation of the key competencies required to realize that potential.

A worthy guide-book for any writer or would-be-writer.

Larry, I emailed this note to my online writing pals:

Hey, everyone, yesterday I finished reading Larry Brooks' Story Engineering / Mastering The 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing.
WOW. I used up a highlighter, I've underlined sentences and pages, I've put in tabs, folded page corners, and now I'm typing all of the underlined sentences. Things don't get interesting until about page 23, but I suggest that if you get it, read every single word. If you've taken C.J. Lyons' plotting workshop, the best workshop I've taken, you'll see a resemblance, but Larry's is a whole book crammed with wonderful advice. It's my Writing Bible; I'm gonna read it again starting today.

I have stacks of How To Write books and can happily give them away now!

Evonne Biggins, Idaho.

Larry knows his stuff. He no doubt writes gripping prose, action-packed plots and can't-put-it-down structure. If this is what you want to learn, then this book if for you.

My main criticism of the book comes in the way Larry presents this information. He has boiled down his technique into simple lists of characteristics of what make great reading. My only problem is the way he presents this information. He announces early in the book that he has "6 core competencies" and then immediately leaps into inane metaphor after inane metaphor trying to explain how they work without revealing what they are. When you finally read through to where the competencies lie, you'll find the first 10% of your writing should be setup. And that's when you realise Larry has written a how-to book in his fiction structure and he really had to pad that first 10% in order to avoid saying something useful.

Another issue I have is Larry's inability to perceive value in any other writing structure or tool. Character-driven plots? Not on his watch, not if it means that he doesn't get a certain plot element exactly at the x% mark where it should go. And plots which don't conform to his structure? Don't make him laugh. And he will, guffawing over other author's stupidity like a negligent father watching his son dabble his toes in a shark tank.

There is a lot of great stuff in this book, the chapter on scene composition is especially good. But I think Larry should have kept himself from writing a how-to guide in the same format as his fiction. There is no need to leave the reader thinking "Is this the chapter where he's actually going to tell us something or is it another metaphor about Tiger Woods or fighter pilots?"

I am a published author by major houses. This book has helped me immensely in the structuring of my writing and how I plan to outline my future books. I mind mapped this whole book and re-read it three times. For those seeking publication, I suggest you truly study this book, along with any other books that discuss the importance of structure, which is what truly holds stories together.

This is a very comprehensive discussion of the components that make up a story.
It takes a couple of readings to assimilate it all and get things in perspective.
Very well worth the price and time spent reading it.

I'd been thinking I needed to engineer my stories, so I Googled "story engineer" and found Larry's interview on The Creative Penn. Liked what I was hearing. Bought the book. Read the book. Found the style a bit grating, but loved the content. Boxes (parts) and milestones have been particularly useful.

This book will change the way you look at writing! In the best way. It's like having one of the best college professors at your disposal. The information in this book is invaluable and very easy to digest.

Like many writers, I have shelves of "how-to" books about writing fiction. I feel that I can get rid of all of the rest of them now! This book is a gem! It succeeds in looking at the individual elements of fiction without losing sight of the fact that they are always integrated. Brooks has cleared up much of the fog that my writing mind often found itself in, and I now approach my current novel-in-progress with much more clarity and purpose!

Story Engineering was clear, well set out, and kept on point throughout. Too many other books on the topic have wandered as if they themselves were "pantsed". A very impressive text, I should think anyone who was serious about understanding structure and the importance of the six competencies would be well advised to take a look.